The LGBTQ+ umbrella is ever expanding to include new identities, and the broader queer lexicon can be difficult to decode if you don’t keep up with new terms. Semi-new to the queer dictionary are terms like pinkwashing, ciswashing and straightwashing, which are being used to hold the public accountable for their portrayal, or lack thereof, of queer identities. There are plenty of ways the media tries to disguise, prevent, or dilute the depiction of queer identities. And because new inclusive media on the fringes is working to bring queer identities into the fold of film, television, books and other media plotlines, it’s easy for these identities to be cast aside in mainstream media.
Though queer representation in television and film has improved in recent years, it still struggles to take center stage. An article from Pink News gets down to the nitty gritty of just how queer identities are subverted every day in the media. Here’s how this happens.
Pinkwashing
Pinkwashing can be used as a tactic in the media to feign allyship. Many have accused national companies like Target of pinkwashing when they sell LGBTQ+ merchandise during Pride month, but don’t seem to support the queer community in the remaining 11 months of the year. Pinkwashing is also commonly seen in the music industry, when big pop stars use language in their songs that implies they are bisexual or queer, while not openly engaging in queer relationships in their lives. The term can also be applied to politics or any attempt to superficially support LGBTQ+ rights when reality paints a far different picture.
Straightwashing
Straightwashing involves the depiction of a queer person or character as straight, using heteronormative appearance and behavior. According to Pink News, this practice “perpetuates the idea that films or shows need to be made ‘straight’ to appeal to a wider audience, which is rooted in homophobia.” Straightwashing is evident in film franchises like “X-Men,” where the character Mystique, who is bisexual in the comics, was portrayed as straight in the films.
Ciswashing
Think of ciswashing as straight washing for trans people. This happens when trans or non-binary people are presented as cisgender in the media. This distorts the reality of the character or actor’s identity and is a loss for potential queer representation. The film Stonewall released in 2015 was accused of ciswashing when it failed to recognize the two activists who led the riots: Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, both of whom were trans.
Each time ciswashing, straightwashing or pinkwashing occurs in the media, it discourages queer lives and identities from becoming a larger and more normalized part of the cultural zeitgeist, giving these identities more space to be ostracized in society.
